Why Is My House So Dusty? A Cumulative Guide to a Cleaner Home

When your house is dusty, not only does it make your living area look quite unpleasant, excess dust can also make health problems like asthma and allergies much worse. Dust is unhealthy and a pain in the neck. No matter how much you seem to clean, it just keeps coming back. So, what can you do to minimize the amount of dust in your home? Don’t just sit around and wonder ‘why is my house is so dusty,’ do something about it.

What is dust?

Everyone has heard of dust, but many people don’t specifically know what in fact it is. Dust is a collection of microparticles that become present in your home. These microparticles usually form from little pieces of skin, hair, carpet fibers, clothing and upholstery, bedding fragments and various particles from outdoors. In fact, 60% of the dust in your home came from outdoors.

The 3 main reasons why your house gets so dusty

To begin, it’s important to understand why your home is dusty in the first place. First, does your home have carpet? Carpet acts as a sponge for dust. As a result, your carpet will begin to accumulate dust mites as time goes on. Many people think that vacuuming is the answer when in fact vacuuming actually makes things worse. So, what is the solution? You can either upgrade to flat floors like hardwood, laminate or even granite. In addition to this, you can also invest in a vacuum cleaner complete with a HEPA rated filter.

Another reason why your home may be dusty could be because you’re using low-quality filters. If you’re using those skinny, fiberglass filters, here’s a little news for you. Fiberglass filters are about the least effective at collecting dust. Overtime, your AC evaporator coil will become filthy and dust will be blown throughout your living area. To help reduce this, choose a filter that offers a higher MERV rating. For those that are unfamiliar with what a MERV rating is, the higher the MERV rating, the more effective the filter is at catching smaller particles.

However, it’s important to note that if you decide to choose pleated filters, they can get real dirty real fast. This means you’ll have to change them on a regular basis. Your system can also overheat and sustain other damage if the filter becomes filthy and is not changed.

The last reason why your home may be so dusty could be due to a leaky air ducts. In fact, your air ducts may be collecting dust and scattering it throughout your home. There are a few places where your ducts maybe leaking. They include:

Small cracks, holes and gaps around the fittings Joints that are not sealed properly Cracks between the joint sections Attics and crawlspaces

A dusty home is definitely an indication your air ducts are leaking. However, if you notice hot and cool areas in your home, or your electricity bills that are higher than normal, then you may have leaks in your air ducts. Once you notice these things, it’s best to call a professional, so they can perform a pressure test. If they notice that your ducts have a low-pressure rate, they will then provide you with some options.

One option you should inquire about is installing an air cleaner into your duct system. You want a air cleaner that has the ability to clean your whole house. A quality system should be able to eliminate up to 95% of pathogens and have at last a 15 MERV rate.

Humidity can be a major factor in where the dust is coming from

Like mentioned above, installing an air clearer into your ducts, or installing a complete air purifying system into your home can decrease a lot of dust in your home. One main reason you want to do this is because humidity is coming into your home from the outside.

Dry air and dust go together like peanut butter and jelly. The drier the air, the more dust you will have in the air. This is why it is important to ensure you have some sort of an air purifying system that can eliminate all of the particles and debris coming into your home. Remember, if the air in your home seems to be too dry, your HVAC system will more than likely have problems soon.

Preventive steps to eliminating dust

In addition to upgrading to flat-surfaced floors, making your air ducts air tight and installing some sort of air purifying system into your home, there are also other preventative steps you can take to help eliminate the dust in your home.

Make sure everyone that comes into your home takes off their shoes. You can even hang a colorful sign to remind people. Wipe your pet’s feet as soon as they enter your home. Owners can invest in little shoes for your pet, so their feet remain clean when they go outdoors. Check your windows in addition to your door to make sure they are air tight. Strong winds can push dust and other particles through cracks and small holes. Check your air filter port to make sure it is air tight. An air filter port that is not sealed properly can potentially drain your system’s efficiency level by 20% to 50%. Clean your home’s registers with a damp washcloth on a regular basis. If you have a vacuum with a long extension, you can even sweep the dust from out of your registers too. Head up to your home’s attic and check and look for ducts that are not attached. If you do see an area where your duct is not attached, you’ll need to equip yourself with tensioning tools, industrial strength zip-ties and a powerful sealant called “mastic.”

Above all, if you apply all these tips listed in this article, you’ll not only make your home a cleaner place, you’ll also enjoy a healthier living environment while also making your home more efficient as well. That means lower monthly electricity bills. Sounds pretty good, right? So, don’t just sit around and wonder, ‘why is my house is so dusty,’ take steps to reduce it.

Dust and Taxes is here to stay, especially in dry places like CA that doesn’t get much rain.

I have hardwood floors. Once a week, I use a water spray bottle and a rug to wipe the floors with my feet. It’s the simplest solution I found.

Vote Up0Vote Down Reply

6 months ago

Amazon Affiliate Disclaimer: H2ouse.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.